Lullabies
by remberthecode
Summary: 25 years have passed since the initial Dark War and the fall of the Nephilim. Now, with Amelia Herondale has become leader of her own Legion. But things are changing and the mundanes are revolting. It doesn't help that the Rebels are arming the mundanes. In the midst of all this, can Amelia piece herself together? Rated M for sexual themes and eventual gore, among other things.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMI series or any of its characters.**

Chapter 1

"Where are they?"

Two men stood in the center of an old barn. Their hair was long and tangled. One was rather handsome, with nice green eyes and a strong jaw. The other was less than appealing to the eye but much better than most mundanes with a hooked nose that had been broken one to many times and murky brown eyes that appeared sunken in. But they were distinguished by the swords they carried and the Empire symbol that was sewed into their shirts with a cross hanging above it. Hunters. But not like the Nephilim, no, never like them. But hunters of a different kind. It was the type that was considered a disgrace.

"I dunno. Said they'd be here in a minute or two, never thought they'd take their goddamn time," one of the men responded.

He yanked the chain that led to their latest catch, as if to pronounce his sentence, his green eyes flashing. Impatience laced through both of the Hunters, making them grind their rotting teeth. The silence and boredom of their wait made for uneasy twitching and shuffling of feet.

He yanked at the chain again, making the small girl they'd caught whimper. The boy next to her shushed her, his eyes flashing as glanced at the Hunters. Back to silence.

"You hear that, children? You've been spared whatever is to come 'imply because a couple of Pickers was too busy for the lot of you," the man said, yanking the chain again.

He sniggered at his friend, rotten teeth flashing. In return his friend walked around the two children they'd caught, his boots crunching as he walked over hay. He came to a stop in front of the girl.

"Aren't you a pretty one?"

Silence.

"Have you flowered yet?"

Silence.

He lifted his hand and ran it along the girl's cheek, chuckling when the girl flinched away. He'd noticed when he first started hunting that little girls always felt uncomfortable around him. He'd never done anything they thought he'd do to them, but being a Hunter was a curse to carry the weight of what the Hunters represent. He looked up at his friend, who had a wolfish grin on his face.

"Wipe that fuckin' grin away, will you? Not a finger on her," he warned.

"Come off it Daf, she's bound to be a virgin. I love how they're always tight," his friend whined.

Daf looked down at the girl. Like all Light-Blooded, she was beautiful. Her eyes were the color of the sea with beautiful flicks of blue. Long lashes rimmed them and her brown hair was cut short. Her lips were tightly pressed together, but he could still see that she had messing teeth. She was nine years old at the most.

"I like them tight to, but this one is untouchable. I 'ave a feeling she's worth a lot," Daf murmured.

His friend snorted. Daf watched as he brought a cigarette to his lips.

"Oi, those things are bad for you. Back in the day, they ran loads of tests- "  
"Those tests can suck my big meaty cock," he interrupted.

Daf laughed.

"Let's not be indecent around such a beauty, you cunt," he responded, laughter lacing his words.

"But seriously, I'd fuck her 'till she liked it," the man said, running his greedy green eyes along the girl's tiny body.

Daf rolled his eyes.

"She'd never like it. Remember, she's a Light-Blood. They have standards," Daf volleyed back.

He watched his friend closely as he drew a long puff from his cigarette. Daf looked down at his feet, knowing that his friend had already decided he was going to fuck the girl. He looked at the small girl. Pity clouded his vision as his friend handed him the boys chain and hauled the girl away. Pity clouded him as he heard the cries of the girl as his friend pushed himself into her. Pity clouded him as he heard the weak thumps of the girl's fist on his friends back. Pity clouded him as his friend's pace quickened as he neared his end.

Silence suddenly coated the air around them as his friend released himself inside the child. After a couple of minutes, he began again. Daf looked at the boy, whose hands were balled into tight fists at his sides. The boy's dark hair hid his face. Daf reached into his pocket, digging out a pack of his cigarettes, trying his best to ignore the groans and pained whimpers that escaped from his friend and the girl respectively.

"You want one, boy?" Daf murmured as he lit his death.

He took a puff, inhaling the terrible smoke then exhaling it slowly through his nose. It stung a bit, but he enjoyed the sensation nonetheless.

"Sure," the boy whispered.

Daf plucked out a cigarette, lit it with the butt of his and passed it to the boy. He held it strangely then took a puff. He immediately sputtered and began to cough heavily. Daf chuckled.

"First one always sucks. Give it a few more and you'll find the joy in them."

The boy nodded.

"I know," he whispered.

Daf heard his friend let out a groan that signified he was finished. Then the bastard started up again.

"Daf was it?" the boy asked.

Daf turned to the little guy.

"Yes, that's me. What do ya want?" he asked.

"Return me to my fathers and they'll make it worth your while," the boy said.

Daf burst out laughing.

"And how much would that be? One of you little Light-Blooded call for fifty cold crowns to a hundred gold crowns. Explain to me how a Rebel could possibly have more than that?" he breathed out.

"My fathers do. Take me to them and they'll pay you handsomely," the boy whispered.

Daf looked outside of the barn. The rhythm of his friend was still consistent as he fucked the small girl.

"How much?" he asked again.

"Five-hundred gold crowns to a thousand gold crowns."

Daf looked over at the boy, skeptic at the boy's claims.

"Where would I be taking you?"

"West."

Daf heard his friend coming back, the chain for the little girl clinking loudly as he dragged her in.

"What's with you? Look like you seen a ghost," his friend chuckled.

A thousand gold crowns echoed in Daf's head, drowning out his friend's joke.

"It was nothing, just thought I saw someone back there," he responded pointing to the back of the barn.

"Where?" asked his friend taking the bait. He handed the girls chain to him and walked toward the place that Daf had pointed out.

"Over by the window," he whispered.

His friend stepped closer to it, shading his eyes. Daf reached for his dagger and let it fly. His friend lurched forward as the blade buried itself into his head. Daf yanked the chains as he went to get his dagger. Pulling it out, he wiped the blood away on his friend's jacket. He looked up and saw the girl and boy staring at him with wide eyes. He noticed the boy had cat eyes.

"You're a Lightwood, aren't you?" Daf asked.

The boy nodded.

Daf looked at the girl. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her clothes ruffled. She had large bruises covering her neck were his friend had held her as he fucked her.

"Tell me where to go little guy."

 **Leave a review. I'm hoping to update at least once a week now that vacation draws nearer and nearer. Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMI or the DA series or the wonderful characters within those worlds.**

Chapter 2: Smokey Hands

The room smelled strongly of flowers. It wasn't like Amelia knew exactly what flowers smelled like, she just knew that the room smelled of it. She watched with a bored expression as the girl with snow hair carefully put on her mask. It consisted of powders and the ridiculous spider like eyeliner that had come into fashion across the Empire. The bed creaked as Amelia switched from sitting to lying down on her back.

"I mean, your almost twenty-five–"

"I'm twenty-one."

"–you need to start looking for a husband. I mean I get your always busy, but it wouldn't hurt you to go to the diners Father throws together," the young girl said.

Amelia watched as the girl brought the dark rich purple color of lipstick to her lips. It was horrific and Amelia never understood these fads that passed through the whole Empire.

"Seraphina, that color is terrible," Amelia pointed out.

The girl pouted.

"What would you have me wear then?" Seraphina asked.

The girls dark almost black eyes glared back at her from the mirror. Amelia sluggishly got up from the large bed and walked over to the girl's vanity. She dug around, looking for a nice pink that would make the younger girls harsh features less severe. She found a pale pink and offered it to the girl.

"That's from like three years ago. I can't be seen in something like that," Seraphina whined.

Amelia rolled her eyes and began to wipe away the girls purple color.

"Its not in season, Emmy," the girl weakly protested.

Amelia ignored the girl and applied the pink color. Just as she predicted, the girls features softened. She brought out another wet towel and rubbed the design the girl had crafted around her eyes.

"Amelia!" Seraphina gasped.

She applied a light brown and smudged a bit of pink in the middle. With careful hands she lined the girls eyes with a charcoal. The girl's eyes popped. They both shared their mother's large prominent eyes but not the color. Amelia's were a rich gold color and Seraphina's were a dark green that held the same cold feeling of the truly Endarkened.

Amelia wiped away the powder best she could and applied a smaller amount. She pinched the girl's cheeks.

"Emmy, its not in fashion," the girl said.

"So? You are the Emperors daughter. No one will speak ill of you. In a week or so, I assure you this look well be everywhere," she whispered into the girl's ear.

Seraphina smiled, her perfect teeth flashing. Amelia smiled, her crooked teeth flashing. Seraphina's nose crinkled.

"Put them away, they're disgusting," Seraphina giggled."

"Oh how nice you are," Amelia teased.

Then she began to tickle the girl. Amelia didn't even notice the dark figure that had entered the room until it cleared its throat. Seraphina looked around as Amelia straightened up.

"Father," Seraphina whispered, her eyes still twinkling from the attack.

Amelia bowed.

She rose up and watched the Emperor. He was aging rather well. His eyes were the ink black color that marked all Endarkened. His hair was slicked back, a couple pale strands stubbornly falling into his eyes. He was tall and imposing.

"How are you, my dear girl?" he asked, watching Amelia.

"I'm doing great Daddy. Emmy helped me get ready for the diner," the young girl reported. She walked toward her father with a confidence only few held. He spread his arms and hugged her warmly, his eyes never leaving Amelia's. He looked down briefly and met his daughter's eyes.

"I like this change. You look much younger without all that filth you hide under," he dictated harshly.

Seraphina didn't even blink, numb to the judgments of her father.

"Emmy did it for me. And its not filth. I use it to enhance my beauty," the girl said.

She walked back to her vanity, her little heels clacking on the marble floor. She took one of the chocolates she'd ordered brought to her and plopped it in her mouth.

"Amelia, come with me," the Emperor said.

"Yes, Uncle," she said.

The Emperor held out his arm and she took it. They left the girl to her own humming and walked outside into the large hallway. The Emperor led her outside of his home, all the while a comfortable silence hung over them. They finally stopped outside, watching a large statue. It was of a woman holding a man who kneeled before her, his face filled with remorse and grief and other emotions.

"How are things going at the Fort?"

Amelia looked up at the Emperor.

"They're well. I've reverted at least a hundred Rebels to our cause without the use of the Cup," she responded confidently.

The Emperor nodded.

"And the labor camps? I put Richard in charge of them, but I can't tell if he lies when asked how they are being run," the Emperor said.

Amelia felt a little thrill run threw her at the sound of distaste that laced the Emperor's tone as he mentioned his eldest son.

"They are running slowly. The mass graves aren't being made fast enough and the bodies are piling up in Jocelyn's camp. Things are running smoothly in Valentine's camp but the back up is bound to catch up," she reported.

The Emperor ran his free hand along his jaw, the muscles there twitching.

"General Amelia!" boomed a voice.

Amelia gritted her teeth as Leon rode in on his horse. His gear was at least pristine. He dropped off his horse and jogged up the steps and bent over, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breathe. He looked up and did a double take as he noticed the Emperor.

"Oh, your grace, my apologies for my rudeness," Leon said smoothly.

He kneeled down on one knee. The Emperor motioned for him to stand.

"Well what is it?" Amelia snapped.

"They found some Rebels on the outskirts of Isabelle's Forest. Apparently they're of the important sort," he said.

"Good," the Emperor said slowly.

He turned toward Amelia.

"I was about to send you off to the labor camps. I want a full report on everything that's going wrong. On your way there, you can bring the captured Rebels if they are of importance."

"And your son?" Amelia said.

The Emperor kept on walking, his gait graceful.

"I'm dealing with him."

Amelia tried not to feel pity for the boy. Though a horrible being, no one deserved the punishments of the Emperor. She'd seen first hand the horrid wounds he dealt his sons. It was so bad sometimes that the poor boys wouldn't walk for weeks.

The Emperor suddenly stopped. He turned toward her.

"Come here," he said.

Amelia walked toward him slowly. Once she was close enough she was pulled into a hug.

"I wish you were my daughter," he whispered into her ear.

Amelia hugged him back, holding back tears.

"I wish you were my father," she whispered back.

He stepped back, his face emotionless but his eyes painted a different story. His lips cracked into a smile, smile lines deepening. Amelia turned away and made her way toward Leon, who was looking at the fountain with a smirk. As they walked further from the palace that was the Emperor's home, the words still echoed in her. She knew she had a goofy grin as they passed the large gate. The three guards that stood waiting smiled as she walked past them.

"General Amelia," they said in unison.

A stall boy stood waiting with a horse. She smiled down at the boy, who backed away his black eyes glistening with mirth. Leon mounted his horse and Amelia hers.

"Lets go," she said, kicking her horse into a gallop.

"I called one of the Glanith in. They'll have the portal ready on the outskirts of the Capital."

Amelia nodded. She looked up at the sky, seeing the slight force field that kept demons and Downworlders out of the Capital. Her red hair blew in the wind as they sped through the city. Children eyed the two soldiers as they parted crowds. Their armor glistened with the symbol of the Third Legion.

"That's Amelia Herondale."  
"She's so pretty."

"That's the queens daughter."  
"Look at their eyes."

"His are blue."

"So strange."

Words followed them as they passed by. It was always the same. Most of the Endarkened seemed to have forgotten that they were once Light-Blooded. Though they feared the Third Legion, they trusted Amelia. She had been the one to reveal important Rebel locations when she first came to the Capital. A couple years later and she held a third of the Empires arms in her hands.

The air suddenly thickened and Amelia knew they neared the edge of the city. She could tell because the fog grew dense and she could see the shadow of the mundane's homes that littered right outside of the capital. Although they weren't sure were they stood with the Emperor, they knew that he didn't outright despise them.

Amelia's ears popped and she heard Leon laugh as a mundane girl tripped as they rode out past the field of protection. The girl lifted her hands to protect her face as they rode by. A couple men stared after them, even more amazed as they took in the two Empire soldiers. Amelia laughed at them and Leon joined in.

 **Kwaheri!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMI or TDA! I only own the characters and places I've made out of my brainpower!**

Chapter 3: Morning Birds

Daf sat by a fire. His whole body ached. His fingers even ached. But he couldn't imagine how sore the girl must be feeling. She had her back turned to him during the whole night but he still saw her little shoulders shake as she sobbed. She also walked with a bit of a limp and the bruises intensified as time went by.

Daf got up, his weapons clanking. The two children bolted awake, their eyes wide as he stepped over them.

"Just takin' a piss. Go back to sleep," he murmured.

The boy watched him for a minute his strange eyes scanning for something then he laid back down, curling in on himself. The girl didn't. Instead she watched Daf as he walked over to a nearby try and relieved himself.

"Why didn't you stop him?" came a small voice.

Daf put himself away and walked back over to the girl.

"Sorry about that but my hands were tied. Yunnio was a bit of a dick and I didn't wanna get meself into a row with him," he answered.

"Yet you killed him afterwards," the girls voice said, tonelessly.

Daf sat down on an old log and nodded.

"Yet I killed 'im afterwards."  
The girl turned away from him and curled in on herself. Daf watched silently, his gaze never leaving her. He whistled and grabbed a near by stick and threw it at her. The girl turned around, her face reddening with anger.

"But, just so you know, it really wasn't me fault. If your little friend here had made his striking offer as soon as you were dragged away, I could have killed him and you'd be laying there with your virtue in tact," he informed her.

She stood up, her eyes flashing. She stormed over to him and slapped him. Daf scowled at the little girl. The boy swiftly stood and grabbed the girl, whispering into her ear. The little girl calmed and went back to her spot to sleep or cry or both. The boy turned to Daf.

"You're a dick," he said.

Daf smirked.

"I know. Its why I took the job," he said, pointing at the symbol that was etched into his jacket.

The boy turned to leave but Daf pulled the chain that was still attached to him. The boy turned back around, his cat eyes boring into him.

"So which one are you? I know of Janis and Iwan, are you a recent addition to the family?" he asked.

The boy tensed at the mention of the names. Daf knew it would make him uncomfortable.

"I guess," the boy answered slowly.

Daf smiled and motioned for the boy to go on.

"I'm Damien," the boy finally said.

"And the girl?" he asked.

"No. She's a Blackthorn," Damien said.

Daf nodded. A Blackthorn and a Lightwood. What were the chances?

"I better get good money for you two," was all he said.

The boy nodded and walked back to his spot. But before he could lay down, Daf stood up his body protesting once again. He stretched his tired body and yanked the chains again.

"Up! We have a long way to go," he said cheerfully.

Damien glared at him before turning to help the girl up. She winced as she dusted herself off.

"Still sore?" Daf asked.

The girl nodded, her eyes watering. Sighing, Daf walked over to her. He pulled out his flask and handed it to her.

"Drink, girl, it'll help," he said softly.

The girl took it and drank, her little face scrunching up at the horrid taste. She spluttered and handed it back to her. He pushed it back to her.

"Keep it. Whenever you feel the pain creeping in, drink. It won't go away but it'll dull it."

He turned on his heel and began to walk, yanking the two children behind him. They limped along, not used to walking this much. He knew that most Rebels traveled completely by portals but he never trusted it. The one time he'd actually done it was to get to a pair of Rebel warlocks. He'd been able to capture them, but the dizzying state of passing through the portal still made him feel sick.

Daf stopped, tilting his head to the side. The two children kept walking but he stopped them. Hearing…something. Horses. He looked around, trying to find where they came from but all he saw was the scattered trees and dirt road they traveled on. Gulping he realized that it must be high ranking Hunters. They usually had force field that kept them hidden. Daf turned to the children.

"I'm going to take the chains off," he told them, shrugging his jacket off," don't run and please don't do anything stupid."

He grit his teeth and chucked his jacket into the tall grass. He thanked the gods that it hid well. He quickly took the chains off and put them into his bag. It bulged terribly but no one would think anything of it. Hopefully. The children looked up at him, the girl's eyes wary. Daf silently cursed, seeing the boy's cat-like eyes.

"Glamour them," he urged.

The boy nodded and mumbled something. His eyes turned to normal human ones. Daf noted that the boy could perform warlock magic. As soon as the glamour was put in place, the horses came to a stop by them, fully visible. Daf eyed the riders. They were Hunters. He continued walking, ignoring the looks he received, the two children following sullenly.

"Hold up," one of the Hunters said.

They stopped and turned to look at the group of men. One of them, presumably the leader, stepped toward them. Daf held his head high, eyeing the men down. They each held numerous weapons, which meant they were looking for someone specifically.

"Wrists up," the man said.

Daf gave the children a look before stepping forward, knowing they didn't have chips. He himself had scanned them beforehand. He held his wrist up to the scanner that the leader held. He passed it over Daf's wrist, a small blinking light pulsing as it worked. After a second, the scanner beeped. The leader stepped around Daf toward the children. Daf watched the other three riders. They weren't really paying attention. How they made it to a high ranker and he didn't would forever be a mystery.

Daf moved quickly and let three daggers fly, each hitting their mark. As the leader turned to see what had happened, Daf grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head back and slit the delicate skin that was left exposed.

The children stared as he went to retrieve his daggers, wiping the leaders blood away on his already filthy pants. The horses shuffled a bit as he pulled out his three daggers from their riders. He wiped the blood away on their clothes and walked back to the children, putting each of the daggers back into their rightful spots.

"Lets go," he mumbled, walking ahead of the children.

The leader gurgled blood as he laid on the dirt road, blood pooling out of his wound. Not quite dead.

They walked in the rain, their clothes plastering to their skin. They'd passed three villages so far.

 _Oh how it rains_

 _But we march on_

 _For the man has much to gain_

 _Sadly the day has gone_

 _Slipped away_

 _With wary reins_

 _The children follow_

 _For they have no where to go_

 _But home_

Daf sang, his deep voice rumbling over the empty road. The children walked behind him, the boy huffing every once in a while in irritation. The girl drank his wine, her lips red from it. She stared ahead, her eyes empty.

"Stop singing, for heavens sake," Damien finally snapped.

Daf turned a little, his ratty hair falling in his eyes.

"Its very rude to stop someone from having a bit of fun. I wouldn't have to entertain myself if you two weren't so hard on conversation," he retorted.

"Maybe if you would just let us go on our own," Damien shot back.

"Nope. I really am a greedy bastard and I want all the money in the world," he yelled, throwing his arms into the air for dramatic effect.

Daf heard Damien grumble something under his breath. Daf glanced at the girl and noticed her pale skin was red. So red it looked like she'd been slapped.

"Are you alright child?" he asked.

Damien turned to her, eyebrows furrowing. She said nothing but kept one walking, her gait a bit robotic. Her eyes were staring straight, the beautiful color a bit hard to see from the pouring rain.

Daf stopped and watched as she passed by him. Her eyes were glazed.

"She's just drunk?" Daf said but it came out more like a question.

But her eyes weren't right. Damien stayed back, shaking his head.

"No, she isn't," the boy said.

Daf turned to look at the still walking girl. Horror dawned on him. With a couple strides, he caught the girl and turned her around. Her small face was still red but that's not what worried him. The distant look was familiar. He'd seen it before in many at Jocelyn, the worse of the two labor camps. With steady hands, he lifted the girl's shirt. He sucked in a breath, recognizing the large black boils. He counted four on her stomach and who knew however many she had elsewhere.

He backed away slowly and looked over at Damien. The boy's look was grave.

"She's infected, isn't she?" he asked.

Daf nodded and watched as the girl walked straight. She kept walking, each step no longer painful to her, since she was gone. Her mind had probably gone hours ago, but the outer signs hadn't caught up yet. Daf watched as the boy raised his hands and pressed them into his eyes. Holding back tears probably.

Daf stalked after the girl again. With careful hands he turned her again. Her beautiful eyes stared at his chest, no longer seeing. He could see the crust in the corners of her eyes, the third stage of the disease beginning.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

He pulled out the special dagger all Hunters had. It was specially blessed and could kill all Downworlders but most importantly, it was able to kill the Infected with out the hassle of building a fire. But no one knew this except the Hunters themselves. The Emperor himself probably didn't know. He couldn't let the boy know. It would make the blades valuable and Daf knew that wouldn't be good. The pure fact that the special blades were hideous made the Rebels overlook them. Damien was looking at him with careful eyes, suspicion lacing his fey-like features.

"Oh, fuck it," Daf mumbled and drove the blade into the girl.

Her skin crackled into black lines that spread quickly. In a matter of seconds, the lines covered her from head to toe and black puss oozed from said cracks. Daf pulled out the blade and turned, running quickly for his remaining hostage and covered the boy with his body. The girl's body would either explode or dissolve. After a minute, Daf turned and saw the body start to dissolve into nothing.

Damien's fingers dug into Daf's shirt, thin fingers white from the strong grip. Daf lightly ruffled the boy's hair.

"Lets walk a little more. Then we can rest, I promise," he said, making his tone soft.

Damien nodded, his eyes on the ground.

"But you have to promise me something," Daf said.

The boy stopped in his tracks and looked up at him.

"You tell no one of the blade and what it can do," Daf said.

The boy looked away.

"What, those Hunter blades? They don't even bother to make them look nice," Damien murmured.

Daf smiled.

As they passed the girls slowly dissolving body, Damien spoke the shadowhunters words of farewell.

"Ave atque vale."

Hail and farewell indeed.

 **Hejda!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the TMI or TDA characters or whatever, that's all Cassie.**

Chapter 4: Sleepwalking

The air was thick outside of the field's protection. It was something that all Rebels were used to. Especially those that lived in the Forgotten Land. A couple of children watched as the hooded figure walked alongside another man. The man had on sunglasses and his lips were turned into a smile. A couple women tittered when he turned in their direction. He was handsome, you could tell even though his eyes were hidden away. Even with his dark hair, the woman stared, quaking at his height. The men around the women gave the stranger odd looks. No women had found dark hair pleasing. Not since the Emperor took over.

Since all attention was averted to the handsome stranger, no one noticed or simply overlooked the hooded figure. He was just a bit shorter than his partner and no one could make out his feature. A couple people did glance at him but their gazes turned quickly away to the man next to him. A couple of school girl blushed and whispered into each others ears as the handsome stranger waved at them.

The pair suddenly stopped outside of an old house. It was dark and aboding and a sign was posted in front of it. Long live the Empire. It was beautifully decorated and glittered with optimistic air. The handsome man cracked his knuckles, his lean muscles flexing. He wore the old style of clothing, not any of the loud colors and preppy clothing that all others in the Empire wore. He turned to his partner and nodded his head.

They stocked forward, and stopped right in front of the sign. It still glistened bright as the sun. The handsome stranger pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The poisonous thing dangled from his lips and he smiled as those who watched them gasped. Smoking had been banned.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he yelled out.

Everyone looked over, their mouths comically falling open at the sight of the stranger and what he held in his mouth.

"Good. Well, aren't you all happy?"

His voice carried around the totally silent square.

"Or are you? Are you truly happy under someone like Sebastian Morgenstern?" he called.

Unified gasp. The stranger smiled.

"See? Even his royal asinine name is treated like the holy bible used to be treated."

The hooded figure cleared his throat loudly. The stranger turned to him.

"How many of you know someone who's been dragged away simply for believing in something different than the Empire? Or not believing enough in it? Lost children, wives, husbands?"

The whole square was silent, but a couple people were squirming, their eyes never leaving the stranger.

"What if I told you we could change that?"

Silence. Then suddenly a small man from within the crowd stood up.

"We've tried. But we always loose," the man said.

The stranger nodded, the sun glistening off of his sunglasses.

"But before, everyone fought separately. Everyone felt alone and no one wanted to join together. This time it would be different," the stranger said.

Silence filled the air, almost as suffocating as thick air of the Forgotten Land. Everyone stood waiting. As always, they waited, holding there breathes for something. The hooded figure stepped forward. The man with sunglasses gave him a strange look but stepped back, his smile faltering. The hooded figure lifted his hands and thru the hooded back.

Everyone gasped again. Blue eyes stared at them, dark hair falling into the face that had held them down for almost three days. He would have won if his sister hadn't failed. This had been the first city that he captured and now he was back. The deadly river had even been named after him.

"Last I was here, I was younger. I was also stronger. My sister was also alive and fighting."

The silence was deafening. It filled every corner. Even as the crowd grew bigger, not a word was said.

"I took this city for me once. Now, I don't plan to take it for me. Its up to you, Klail," the man said, his eyes glistening.

No one dared to say anything. But then, something shifted. The short man that had spoken opened his mouth, his face a cloud of hesitation.

"He's right. The Emperor makes us work, then takes everything. I say let's make this city ours. Fuck the Emperor!" He screamed.

"Yeah, fuck 'im."

And soon the words spread like fire. People threw down their Empire armbands and screamed, years of pain all coming back to them in a large wave of desperate screams and riots.

"Father?" the handsome stranger said.

"Yes?"

"I think it's all coming to and end."

The two men strolled away from the chaos they had started, eyeing everything with blank faces. A small boat sat docked in one of the rivers ports, crashing wildly from the mere speed that the river moved.

"Merlial's next father."

The two strangers carefully got into the boat. Each grabbed an oar and pushed off, letting Alec's River lead them to the next city that made up the Great Three.

 **Na shledanou**!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMI or the DA series or the wonderful characters within those worlds.**

Chapter 5: Sunray Venus

Isabelle's Forest always blew Amelia away. It was large and beautiful. The trees always seemed to be blossoming, never dead, even in the middle of bitter winters. The branches seemed to hug each other, as if holding each other up. But the greatest sight of all was the Isabelle's Tree. It was the largest and watched down on all the others. Her leaves were the brightest and no one had ever seen a tree like that. Her bark was a rich brown.

Amelia remembered the trip the Emperor had years ago with his family. They'd stayed at the royal safe house that had been built about a half a mile away. She'd been appointed to her own mother and she had watched her mother's frail frame make the walk all the way threw the forest. She's watched her mother carry her art supplies with her, breathing hard from the added weight. She'd sat down and watched Clarissa paint her dear old friend. The forest had seemed happy that day. Now even if it looked happy, Amelia could feel the cold that was trapped in the forest. It was a sort of heavy cloud that hung over the whole thing, sniffing out happiness and ripping its throat out with a dull blade, prolonging the pain.

The forest stood alive and angry, the eyes of brave Shadowhunters drilling into Amelia as she followed one of the Glanith to the tent were they held the important prisoner. She'd decided to check on the prisoner before making the small journey to the labor camps. Even from here, she could see the smoke that arose from Jocelyn, the worst of the two labor camps.

 _He refuses to speak anything other than has age. He only demands for you, General._

Amelia tried her best to hide the shiver that ran threw her. She always felt sick hearing or rather, feeling the Glanith run their fingers through her head, even if it was only to speak.

"Hmm."

She glanced behind her, watching Leon carefully. He'd been a bit gloomy and unresponsive lately. Right now, he walked behind them with his eyes cast down. Amelia had always thought him handsome, despite the scars that ran along most of his body. All of her soldiers were badly scarred, their bodies a canvas were Amelia had carved out their beliefs. Some were far worse than Leon, but that was only a few. It had taken a lot to break him but deep down, Amelia felt that he and the others like him weren't broken, just chipped and trying to gather themselves before they fully broke.

His blonde hair glistened in the wind. It was the same shade as his mother. Amelia smiled at the memory of the strong woman. The woman hadn't married Leon's father yet when she'd left.

A small girl with a deep scar that ran from the top of her cheek, over her lip and down to her chin, stepped out of the tent. Her hair was tightly pulled back making the horrid scar even more noticeable.

"General," the girl said, bowing her head slightly.

"What is it Cynthia?" Amelia said.

The girl looked over at the Glanith, her eyes flashing with hatred. Amelia turned to the creature.

"Do you mind leaving me and my soliders on our own? I'm sure I can take it from here," she said.

The Glanith visibly stiffened.

 _Of course._

Amelia watched as the thing walked away.

"The sword doesn't work on him. He's not a Shadowhunter."

Amelia turned, her eyebrows shooting in surprise. She walked passed the girl and flipped the tent open. Amelia stopped in her tracks upon seeing the man. He was looking around the tent with disinterest, his face blank. In fact, he looked bored, even tied to a post, he managed to look bored. His curly hair fell in his eyes, a shaggy mess as if he couldn't be bothered to get a haircut. When he looked up, Amelia smiled.

"Took you long enough," he said.

His voice sounded bored and impatient. He picked at his nail, eyeing her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping in further.

He spread his arms as long as his chains allowed him, his muscles straining a bit.

"Why, I've come to join you! Isn't it obvious by the chains that your very beautiful friend has so graciously put me in?"

He stood up, still as imposing as he was when she was a child. He had blood streaked down his white shirt and it was caked around his fingers. Amelia smiled.

"Guess so."

He smiled and spread his arms again and Amelia stepped into his embrace. He was still as cold as she remembered and as always smelled like blood.

"Uncle Simon, what are you really doing here?" she whispered into his ear.

"Those fuckers pushed me into it," he whispered back.

She tightened the hug, feeling at home. He stepped back but kept a good hold on her shoulders. His dead eyes bore into hers.

"Have they been treating you well?" he muttered.

She nodded.

"Better than my own father," she answered.

A strange look crossed Uncle Simons face, something other than boredom. Amelia knew what was coming and looked down.

"How about Clary? Is she…Is she alright?"

"Yes. But she's starving herself again. I can't get her to eat, no one can."

Simon looked away and for the first time noticed Leon.

"Who's that?" he asked.

Leon straightened and stared unkindly at Simon. To them he was an enemy.

"Leon Blackthorn."

Simon simply looked back down at Amelia. He shuffled his feet a bit.

"Can the chains come off?" he asked finally.

Cynthia spoke up then.

"General, I strongly suggest against that. He killed almost ten of the Empire's loyal soliders before–

Amelia held up a hand, cutting off the girl's words with a simple gesture.

"Take the chains off. Let him bathe and give him new clothes. Then, find him someone to drink from," she stated simply.

Amelia looked up at her Uncle, but the look of boredom had returned to his face.

"We'll talk in the morning?" she asked.

He simply nodded

Amelia stepped away from him and walked out of the tent. Once outside she smiled.

 _The sky was a deep red color. It was sunset Amelia realized. She tried to smile but she couldn't. It was as if her facial muscles no longer worked. She turned away from the beautiful scene. A field of sunflowers smiled at her. They swayed slightly as the wind beat against them. Happiness blossomed in her, but for some reason, her face wouldn't form a smile. Amelia looked down at herself, her skin prickling as she noticed she was in a beautiful gold gown. It was the one her mother had worn when she married the Emperor._

 _"_ _Dreams are always weird," came a voice._

 _Amelia looked around her, trying to find the source._

 _"_ _I'm right next to you," it said again._

 _Amelia turned. Sure enough, a tall man stood next to her, his hair a black mass that stuck up in every direction. Sunglasses hid his eyes._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" she exclaimed._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" he shot back._

 _Amelia sputtered._

 _"_ _This is my dream not yours."_

 _He smirked._

 _"_ _I'd beg to differ, this," he said, waving his arm around the whole field," is my dream."_

 _Amelia stared at him. His cheeks glistened with…_

 _"_ _Is that glitter?" she said._

 _He wiped at his cheeks and smiled._

 _"_ _It is," he said a bit surprised._

 _That's when Amelia noticed he had runes all along his arms. They were black like those of the Endarkened but not of the Endarkened kind._

 _"_ _You're Light-Blooded," she exclaimed._

 _He raised an eyebrow._

 _"_ _And you're a Light-Light-Blooded," he said, pointing at her marks. They were a strange gold color_

 _"_ _I'm Amelia Herondale," she mumbled._

 _"_ _I know," he said, sitting down._

 _Amelia looked away._

 _"_ _Come on, sit with me," he urged._

 _"_ _I'm in this ridiculous dress–_

 _But as she spoke she noticed the dress was gone and she was wearing simple jeans and a long sleeved shirt that hugged her. She sighed and sat down. They faced the field, watching the sunflowers do their dance._

 _"_ _I thought you would be different," he said suddenly._

 _She turned to him but he was gone. Amelia stood up and looked around, unease lodged in her throat._

 _"_ _Where are you?" she shouted._

 _The words echoed back at her, but they were distorted and sounded more like "who are you."_

 _She looked around, her hair whipping around in the wind. But when she stopped she realized there wasn't any wind. She raised her hand and touched her head. Her hair was gone. She tried to move but something seemed to hold her in place. She looked down and saw that her feet were cemented to the floor. The word traitor was carved into the cement._

 _She looked up, her eyes disparate. Her eyes met those of someone she knew all to well. He stared at her, his face twisted in disgust. She could smell the alcohol even from here. He watched her, their shared gold eyes taking her apart. He turned away._

 _"_ _Father!" she heard herself scream._

 _Stop._

 _"_ _Father, I'm sorry!"_

 _Stop._

 _"_ _Father!"  
Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. _

**Nasvidenje!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMI series or any of its characters.**

Chapter 6: Cherry Candy

The game is always the same, no matter what. It's almost laughably boring. You watch the guards and learn their cycles, breaks and watch for the weakest, and then you strike. Easy.

But when you have a kid with you, its not as easy.

"Listen kid, I need you to go around alright? I'll get the food and anything else we need. Don't get in my way," Daf snapped.

The kid rolled his eyes.

"I've done plenty of raids, old man. You don't need to tell me to stay away, I can help," he said.

Daf ran his hand threw his hair. With an annoyed growl, he slapped the boy. The poor kid looked at him with confused eyes as he held his cheek with both hands.

"I do this alone or I'll turn you over to the mercy of the Empire. You want that? I'm tryin' to get you to understand that I could give zero fucks if you've done raids before. If shit hits the fan, I can't have you getting' caught, so go around the damn village and wait behind the tree I told you about," he snapped.

The boy nodded and bucked away.

With the boy out of the way, Daf put his bag down on the ground. It was a filthy old thing that he had stolen from the first Rebels he'd caught. They'd begged. The young boy the girl carried held the bag like it was his greatest possession. He'd told them they could go if the bag was given to him. They handed it over quickly but he'd still sold them off to whatever retched fate would come there way. Shortly after that he'd met Yunnio.

He dug around the bag until he felt what he needed. It was a grenade. He'd found it after catching a group of vampires that had been on their way to the Capital. The vampire had tried to get it off his belt to throw it at him and Yunnio but wasn't fast enough. The little fucker was shipped off to Jocelyn at his personal request.

Now, the thing was in his hand. Without much thought, he pulled the weird thing on the side and chucked it over the wall of the village. He stepped away. No one really knew what damage could be done from grenades anymore. Once upon a time, everyone knew but since the fall of mundane society…well.

Daf looked around, whistling a cheerful tune as he waited for something. Just as he was about to curse the vampire, a loud explosion rocked the wall. Bits of it were thrown out and in less than a minute, he could here bells going off.

He bounded over to the entrance of the village and snuck in. Just as expected, no guards were by the wall.

"Hey!" someone said behind him.

Damn.

He turned slowly.

"Hands up."

Daf stared at the bulky guard. He had an ugly pug nose and horribly spaced eyes. They looked as if they were on the sides of head. To top it off, the poor guy had horribly bleached hair. Daf ran towards the guy. In turn, the guard pulled out a heavy looking sword and swung towards Daf's head. He danced away and sliced the beast of a man behind his thighs. The man tried to turn but instead fell to his knees. Daf quickly brought his dagger into the mans heart, the rush of ending a life setting fire to his blood.

He wiped the blood on his dirty pants and ran into the village. At the sight of a semi-good looking house, he ran to it and knocked politely. He waited a couple heartbeats and then the door opened. An old woman stared back at him. She had a wild look about her that made him stop for a second. She raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

He pushed inside and ignoring her yelp. Just as he thought, a group of men stood around a table. They each stared at him with feral looks of contempt, their teeth in full show as they snarled.

"Yes, you can," he told the old woman.

Daf watched as Damien said hello to all the werewolves, smiling at them with a familiarity that Daf didn't care for. He stood leaning against the old woman's table. They snuck glances at him as if he'd grown a second head. He ignored them and stared at the little boy.

"We can try to help, but no warlocks well be coming here until next month," the leader of the pack said.

"Will then, we should get going," Daf said, standing up.

"No, we can wait here," Damien said.

"No we are leaving. We'll only disturb dear old Evelyn. Sorry boy but we can make it there by foot in a week. It would be foolish to wait for a warlock that we aren't even sure can make portals, or even get here without getting caught by, I don't know, a Hunter," he whispered the last word mockingly.

The werewolves all tensed and watched him with hate filled eyes. Damien looked down, understanding twisting his face.

"Then we'll send one of our wolves with you," Evelyn said.

Daf slid his gaze to the old hag. She had a smug look on her face. Daf smirked.

"Fine. Send one of your mutts with us. But he may not make it the full journey from a horrible incident that involves me and my blade," he said.

The old woman's lips thinned as the pressed them tightly together.

"My dear boy, we could get rid of this plague in a heart beat," the old woman said to Damien.

Daf chuckled.

"You are truly fantastic aren't you? Never knew that ancient people could joke," he said.  
The old woman lunged for him, her hands morphing into an ugly clawed thing. Daf didn't even flinch and watched as the other beasts tried to restrain her.

"Stop it Daf," Damien whispered.

Daf looked down at the boy. His face was reserved but Daf saw that his eyes glistened with sadness. Daf looked away.

"We don't need one of your pack. I'll keep the boy safe and away from harm. If you send one of yours, it'll be harder to stay hidden, especially considering how tightly my fellow workers are looking for Rebels," he said, looking at the wall.

"How bad are they searching?"

"Terribly. Money is scarce, so food is scarce. Some Hunters aren't even actual Hunters, just men that are trying to keep their families from starving to death. The Emperor is taking crops and giving his people lavish lifestyles while the mundanes die in mass."

Silence filled the room as his words sunk in. And they were true. He saw it get worse every day. No matter how many Rebels he caught, the number of coins given dropped. Farmers had it worse. If they refused to give all there workings away, their lands were taken from them at best. If they didn't make enough, the same. He saw children starve, begging for food on the streets. The cities reeked of death and shit as disease spread rapidly.

"Things are falling apart. All you Rebels really need to do is make the people see that," he stated finally, breaking the silence.

Stretching, he touched the ceiling with his fingertips.

"You can go. But this boy better get to his parents unharmed," the old lady said.

Daf smiled and nodded his head.

"I can't promise that he won't go unharmed but I can try my best to keep him unharmed. Plus we might get into a little bit of drinking," he said.

One of the werewolves chuckled, earning him a pinch.

"That's good enough, I guess," the older woman said.

She shuffled away and after a couple minutes, emerged with two backpacks.

"For your journey," she said.

Damien grabbed both bags and handed Daf his. Daf shrugged his old one off and pulled out his few belongings. Everyone watched him quietly as he tucked away a lock of brown hair.

"Your child's?" one of the werewolves asked.

Daf shook his head.

"My wife's. We didn't have enough time to make one," he said robotically.

"Empire take her?" the old lady asked, her eyes glistening with sympathy.

Daf shook his head again.

"It was a Rebel. They raided our village during the night and murdered her while I was away with the other men. When we came back, they were already gone. I went to Glanith the next day," he said.

He packed up everything and slung the bag onto his back.

"Lets go kid," he said to the boy.

Damien nodded and followed him out of the house. The whole village was silent as Daf and Damien got back on the dirt road that led to the Rebels.

 **Adiós!**


End file.
